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The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:
At the media briefing today (May 22), Hong Kong West Cluster Chief Executive Dr Luk Che-chung conveyed apologies to the patient of a heart transplant operation and the family of the deceased donor.
"An investigation panel will be established shortly with independent experts and community representatives to look into the incident with a view to finding out the causes of the incident and preventing recurrence of similar happenings" Dr Luk said.
The incident involved a 58-year-old female patient with critical end-stage heart failure undergoing heart transplantation at Queen Mary Hospital (QMH) yesterday (May 21).
Subsequent to the information that a potential cadaveric heart would be available from a deceased patient at Queen Elizabeth Hospital on May 20, the Cardiac Medical Unit of Grantham Hospital identified the critically-ill patient who had been admitted to the cardiothoracic surgical intensive care unit of QMH since May 4 in anticipation for a heart transplant.
It was during the process of heart transplantation on May 21 morning that the operation team was informed that the blood type of the patient (A) was incompatible with the donor (AB). Necessary treatments including plasmapheresis started immediately to minimise the chance of rejection.
Dr Luk said that the hospital will closely monitor the patient's condition whose transplanted heart remained clinically stable. "The patient is now staying in the cardiothoracic surgical intensive care unit and is in serious condition."
The Hospital has maintained close communication with the family to give a full account of the incident while offering the necessary support and assistance. Dr Luk added to express deep apologies to the relatives of the donor for not making best use of the donated organ and hoped that the event would not undermine the enthusiastic support of members of the public in organ donation.
Ends/Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Issued at HKT 21:50
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